'Messiah of Evil', by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz

Messiah of Evil, directed by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz. USA, 1973. 90'. Original soundtrack with Spanish subtitles

Gloria Katz’s Messiah of Evil (USA, 1973) tells the story of a woman who runs into an undead cult while searching for her missing father in a California town. At times atmospheric and pensive, and at others campy in its gruesome displays, the film refuses to follow any particular system or order.

In relation to Fumai’s work, the production conditions of this film are also quite significant: for decades, Gloria Katz was merely listed as co-director with William Huyck in the credits, although this has been rectified in recent years. This important discovery aligns the film with Fumai’s creative efforts to, for instance, tell the stories of women artists and performers who otherwise would have been forgotten.

Screenwriters, directors and producers Gloria Katz (USA, 1942–2018) and Willard Huyck (USA, 1945) are best known for their screenwriting work for George Lucas. Though uncredited, Katz and Huyck edited the Star Wars script and were responsible for much of the humour and development of the iconic Princess Leia. They also worked together on the screenplay of American Graffiti, for which they won National Society of Film Critics Award and the New York Film Critics Circle Award.

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